FFVIII: Card Queen FAQ

Going back and playing FF8, I dreaded having to complete the Card Queen side quest again, but decided that since I planned on doing it, I'd at least keep an eye out for any tips to pass on. So, here's my Card Queen strategy for anyone who's interested:

One or two things concerning everything that's about to follow:

1.) I'm assuming that by the time you are attempting this side quest you have the Ragnarok and the following cards:

Minimog (from boy running laps in Balamb Garden)
Sacred (from defeating Brothers)
Chicobo (from Chocobo Forest side quest)
Alexander (from Piet at Lunarbase or Lunar Crash Site)

I also suggest collecting some strong cards (GF, Character etc.) before attempting this, as they will make things easier for you down the road.

2.) Unfortunately, I didn't find any easy ways to abolish the 'Random' rule from the Dollet area (and Balamb if it has spread there), but it needs to be done in order to save many, many hours of gameplay. I also suggest abolishing 'Plus' if it has spread to Dollet.

Abolishing rules:

To abolish rules in the Dollet area, you must play a card game in another area (Balamb, Trabia, etc.) with rules different to those in Dollet. Then, go play a card game in Dollet combining rules between the two areas. (You do not actually need to play the game, just challenge someone and then choose 'quit' after the Triple Triad board appears.) I suggest going to the Hotel Dollet and saving there first. Then challenge the bell girl and quit. If you're lucky, a message will pop up saying that 'Random' has been abolished, if not, reset and try again. (This may take quite a while, but will save much more time than it takes.)

Card Queen Stategy:

If you're still interested after all that, I have some good news...there's still a lot to do, but I can help you a little bit. There will still be some resetting and the like, but hopefully using the following strategy you won't have to do too much.

Take the Ragnarok to Balamb and save outside the town. Enter Balamb and find the Card Queen by the train station. You must challenge her to a game and lose a rare card (Lvl. 8 or higher) in order to get her to move from Balamb. I suggest using the 'Angelo' card or something comparable (rare, but not necessarily very strong). Do not use the four cards listed above or the PuPu card otherwise you'll probably need to reset and start over. After you lose to her, talk to her again and she'll say she's bored and traveling to either Galbadia or Dollet. (If she says Galbadia, reset and try again until she says she's going to Dollet....trust me).

Fly to Dollet, stop in the hotel and save. Then go to the upstairs of the Dollet Pub, you'll see the Card Queen there. If you talk to her and ask her 'About your artist father' she'll tell you that she'd like to have a MiniMog card, in order to make a new one. You can make this happen by losing the MiniMog card to her...but first...

***HERE'S THE TRICK***

Challenge the queen...when the Triple Triad screen comes up, look at the Trade Rule. If it doesn't say 'DIRECT', quit and challenge again until it does. When you see the trade rule 'DIRECT' choose to play, and select 4 of your strongest cards and MiniMog. If the 'Open' rule is available in Dollet (and I suggest you make sure that it is), you'll most likely see that the queen is playing the card you just lost to her.

The strategy here is to let the queen turn over the MiniMog card (try placing it in the center with your first move) and for you to turn your former card over while protecting your other cards. Keep As, 9s, and 8s where your cards may be attacked, the queen won't have any better numbers than this other than the card you lost to her. If you are successful at this, you'll lose the MiniMog (and any other cards the queen turned...so be careful!!!) and you'll get your lost card back.

Now, usually the queen travels the world when a rare card exchanges hands but since you took a rare card away as you gave her MiniMog, she'll stay put!!! (for a little while, anyway)

Go back to the hotel and save, if you'd like.

Go to the artist's house in Dollet (south of the pub) and challenge the kid sitting on the floor. You could win your MiniMog card (and other cards the queen asks for) from him. Win back MiniMog and go save again.

Talk to the queen again about her father and she'll say she wants a 'Sacred' card. Lose this to her in any way you desire, but don't lose other rare cards at this point. The queen will now be on the move again (BOOOO!!!!), but thanks to all your saving, you'll be able to control where she goes (HUZZAH!!!). If, after losing Sacred to her, she says she's going anywhere other than Balamb, reset and lose to her again until she is. Go win your Sacred card back from the kid.

Congrats, you just got two trips to Dollet for the price of one AND the queen no longer has any of your rare cards (This is a good thing).

Fly back to Balamb and save. Now, do the exact same thing again. Lose 'Angelo' or other rare card, make sure queen goes to Dollet...blah, blah, blah...

This trip you'll give the queen the 'Chicobo Card' and the 'Alexander Card' in the same way you lost MiniMog and Sacred. When all is said and done, the queen'll be back in Balamb and you'll have all your cards back again.

Try one more time, and the queen'll ask you for the Doomtrain card. This has been painted and given to the bartender in Timber's pub (he's in the back right corner) thanks to your previous efforts. Go win it from him, and lose it to the queen (don't forget...Trade Rule: Direct). Finally, go win your Doomtrain Card back from the kid and your Card Queen side quest is almost done.

Spread over the world are the new cards for you to win:

Kiros -- man in black suit in Deling City's shopping district
Irvine -- Mayor Dobe's wife Flo in FH
Chubby Chocobo -- student sitting on bench outside the library in Balamb Garden
Phoenix -- Presidential Aide in Eshtar Palace (he's in the room where you left Rinoa)

I know this sounds like a whole lot of work, and it is (especially abolishing the 'random' rule, unless someone has come up with an easier way to do it), but it's a lot better than trying to chase the queen all over the world.

Good luck!

P.S. I wondered, after the fact, that if you challenge the queen in Dollet and lose multiple cards to her at once (MiniMog, Sacred, Chicobo, Alexander) if they would all end up at the artist's house in one shot. Anybody know???